Imaging scanners, or “imagers,” are increasingly replacing the laser scanner many uses. This is because the imagers offer more features than laser scanners such as the ability to read two-dimensional barcodes and capturing images such as checks and identification documents. However, when processing one-dimensional barcodes, a laser scanner can often outperform an imager, especially a high-resolution imager. This is because of the additional time required for the imager to capture and process an entire image. The speed of the imager is also impacted by processing measures that are taken to improve the quality of the image so that it can be decoded. For example, many imagers include an automatic exposure time and gain control features that may require the capture and analysis of multiple images to achieve an appropriate setting prior to passing the image on for decoding. A description of the automatic exposure and gain control features can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,977 and 6,729,546 assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc. and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.